5.1 Applicants who may be eligible under further assessment criteria will have a desk-based assessment by the Blue Badge team.
5.2 If a decision cannot be made at the desk-based assessment the applicant can be invited for a mobility assessment, or under hidden disabilities guidance, asked to provide further information. Applicants may be asked to nominate a medical professional known to them to complete and submit the Expert Assessor form before a final decision can be made.
5.3 Face to face mobility assessments are carried out by Expert Assessors using assessment criteria set out by the DfT. Before face-to-face mobility assessments are considered the Expert Assessor will consider virtual assessments, information platforms and resources, and only when there is insufficient evidence to inform their decision will request a face-to-face assessment.
5.4 These kinds of mobility assessments may be less appropriate for some people with non-visible (‘hidden’) conditions – who may be able to walk, but who experience, during the course of a journey, another very considerable difficulty whilst walking or pose a risk of serious harm to themselves or others when walking. In these cases a telephone assessment with an Expert Assessor may be deemed more appropriate.
5.5 Aside from cases where an applicant is unable to walk; i.e. that they cannot walk during the course of a journey, it should be remembered that “very considerable difficulty whilst walking” and “serious harm” during the course of a journey are high thresholds that will be applied to all applicants equally, whether their disability is visible or non-visible (‘hidden’).
5.6 To support the Blue Badge team in gathering the necessary evidence applicant may be asked to complete further questionnaires about their condition. This is to ensure that all aspects of an applicant’s conditions can be gathered and considered as part of the decision making. See Annex 2 for a copy of the current questionnaires.
5.7 Applicants will receive detailed letters explaining decisions both at desk-based and following in-person mobility assessments in line with DfT guidelines.
5.8 The full description of the changes to criteria can be seen on the Department for Transport website under Running a Blue Badge parking scheme
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-blue-badge-scheme-local-authority-guidance-england
5.9 It is the responsibility of the Council to interpret and apply the above criteria fairly.
5.10 Under no circumstances must a badge be issued to an applicant who does not meet one of the eligibility criteria set out in the legislation which governs the scheme. Badges must never be issued to people solely based on their age.
5.11 Letters can be provided in different formats as required to ensure accessibility requirements are adhered to